The Volvo Ocean Race (Whitbread Round the World Race) is a yacht race around the world. It runs every three years and makes an exceptional test of sailing prowess and human endeavour.

It started over 37 years ago by initiating sponsor British Whitbread brewing company. The current sponsor - Swedish automobile manufacturer Volvo.

The Netherlands holds the record of three wins, with Dutch skipper Conny van Rietschoten the only to win the race twice.

Each of the entries has a sailing team of 9 professional crew who race day and night for more than 20 days at a time on some of the legs. They each have different jobs on board the boat, and on top of these sailing roles, there are two sailors that have had medical training, as well as a sail maker, an engineer and a dedicated media crew member.

There are eight sailors plus one non-sailing multimedia reporter onboard the standard teams.

There are some strictly rules: • no fresh food is taken on board, so the crew lives off freeze-dried fare;• they will experience temperature variations from -5 to +40 degrees Celsius and will only take one change of clothes.

The 2014–2015 race is the longest in its history: 39,379 nautical miles. See the image below for the full details.

NEW rule: the boats are identical!!For the first time ever, the Volvo Ocean Race is being contested in a strict one design class. It was made to eliminate the technical advantages and reveal who is the best sailor. The race will decide who can push themselves the hardest, for the longest and who makes the best decisions.

So: the boats are identical; the skippers and crews are not!

Innovations which makes a boat go faster and being capable of withstanding the toughest conditions on the planet. 1-KeelThe maximum draft has been increased from 4.5m to 4.7m. This allows an increase in the righting moment while decreasing the keel weight, giving the boat a noticeable performance improvement.

2-PinThe new boat has an inclined keel pin axis that will be positive for performance: creating a large vertical force on the keel fin, creating lift and reducing the displacement and the amount of drag.

3-StructureThere are eight bulkheads inside the Volvo Ocean 65 – compared to a typical number of four on a Volvo Open 70. The increase means a stronger and more solid structure.

4-Reverse bowThe reverse bow is mainly a cosmetic feature, in the most photographed area of the boat, but it will also help keep water off the bow.

5 - Water ballastsIn the Volvo Open 70 there was only one water ballast in the stern. The Volvo Ocean 65 has two aft water ballasts and one forward water ballast.

6 - Onboard media packagingFive fixed camera positions and two uplink points, which will combine to give coverage from all angles. The camera and mic point in the companionway hatch will get right in the faces of the sailors. Cameras can be remote controlled and directed, while new microphone locations and systems will enhance voice recording.

The teams:

Team SCA – all women, the first all-female crew to enter the race in more than a decade.

Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing Team - the Emirati syndicate has the experience, talent and drive to succeed this time around. A strong contender.

Team Brunel – now on the top position. It leads by skipper Bouwe Bekking, whose sailing career includes participation in six previous Volvo Ocean Races.